Last fall, the fund's economic staff projected world output would rise 2.9 percent this year.

Economists have estimated that an agreement would add $100 billion a year to world output.

The industrial economies now produce barely half of total world output.

The result is a sharp jump in developing countries' share of world output, to 34% from 18% on the old method.

As a result, Asia's share in world output has jumped from 7% to 18%.

The industrial economies' share of world output may already have dropped below half.

However, by any measure, the industry accounts for a significant share of world economic output.

America's stellar growth means that it is consuming more than its share of world output.

American producers, which account for about a fourth of world output, have not reopened many plants.

There is also some doubt about whether oil producers can increase world output enough to keep up with the expected growth in demand.